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Vatterott Educational Centers Inc. said Monday that all its locations, including two in Kansas City, would close, effective immediately. It operates 18 other locations across the country, according to its website.

The private chain of vocational schools said in a letter to students [PDF] that changes in “economic and regulatory conditions in recent years” prompted the move.

“These changes also have made it difficult to secure additional financing or capital,” Vatterott said. “In order to address…

Delivery driver needed ASAP for local delveries. MUST HAVE RELIABLE TRUCK/VAN, NO suv’s station wagons etc. Don’t call if you don’t have truck or van. must know city and have good appearance, good driving record required, need proof of insurance… F …[Read More …]

Embassy Snow and Ice Management is looking for snow laborers to join our team for the winter.
Please note that this is a seasonal position with the potential to turn into a full time position once the winter season is over.
Please note that the hou …[Read More …]

Christmas wreaths are a wonderful way to decorate for the holidays. One of the best features of wreaths is that they are so individual, so unique, so different! Sure, the shape is (generally) a circle, but above and beyond that, Christmas wreaths take any number of forms. This DIY felt ball wreath is a favorite this season – its multicolored nature is non-traditional, and the simplicity quite modern. Here’s how to make your own DIY felt ball wreath this holiday season.

Materials Needed:

You could actually use any type of thread/string/line that you feel would be strong and “invisible” enough for this project. Because the felt balls are multi-colored, I went with black heavy duty thread.

Thread the needle with about 8’ of thread (doubled over, the thread line will be about 4’). Tie a double knot at the end of the thread line.

Selecting felt balls at random, stick the needle through each ball directly through the center.

Push the felt balls next to each other, but don’t pull the thread taut. You will want a little wiggle room to be able to move the felt balls 1/8” or 1/4″ as needed when you go to attach them to the wreath form.

When you get about 6” from the eye of your needle, tie off the thread in another double knot. Cut the thread.

Repeat these steps until you have threaded all of your felt balls. The reason you’re threading them is so that they stay together when it comes time to attach them to the straw wreath. Not only will it go faster to attach them when they’re already strung together, but the felt balls will also stay on the wreath form much better when they’re hooked to their neighbors rather than flying solo.

Tie twine, string, wire, or whatever you want around the straw wreath before you attach any felt balls to it. Glue the hanging device (e.g., twine) down so it doesn’t pull up on the felt balls when the wreath is hanging up.

Along the ridge of the back of your wreath, run a generous bead of hot glue about 6” long.

Set the glue gun aside, and press the felt balls into the straw wreath for about 5-10 seconds before moving onto the next 6” on your felt ball strand.

Continue circling this back ridge until you’ve covered the entire circumference of the wreath back. You don’t need to glue felt balls onto the back of the wreath, so choose the “ridge” line that’s as far toward the back as possible while still allowing the wreath to lie flat on its back.

You will likely have some length of your strand left with felt balls on it. You’ll continue this gluing process, placing these felt balls onto the next ring of felt balls, toward the front of your straw wreath.

Run a generous bead of hot glue about 1/2″ away from the first ring of felt balls. You want to aim so the center of the next ring of felt balls hits the glue while their sides touch the first ring as well.

Place, then press, the second ring of felt balls. Continue in this way for the entire second ring of felt balls. If you reach the end of a strand of felt balls, simply secure the end felt ball in place and then generously glue the first felt ball right next to it. String should be invisible.

Continue the second ring, then repeat the process for the third ring…and so on until you’ve covered the entire straw wreath’s face.

When you get to the “top” of the face of the wreath, you may find it easier to lay the straw wreath down flat to attach the felt balls. You will likely have to stand it on its side when you reach the center section of the wreath with the felt ball strands.

Securely glue down the final felt ball on the back of the wreath. Double check all felt balls to make sure they’re secure. Add glue and press down anywhere that needs additional glue support. Note: Don’t try to glue the felt balls to each other. It doesn’t really work. Only glue them to the straw wreath.

Your goal is to have the felt balls reach far enough toward the back of your straw wreath that the wreath form isn’t visible around the inside or outside ridges.

And there you go. A very happy, modern, multi-colored felt ball wreath.

Of course, you could choose only red, white, and green felt balls if you wanted it specifically Christmas colored. Or whatever colors you like for the holiday season.

You’ll notice that, if you look hard, you can see the straw wreath between some of the felt balls. Don’t worry about this too much; when the wreath is completed, that will become a negligible detail.

If your Christmas season is half as endearing as this DIY felt ball wreath is, you’re going to have a wonderful holiday.

Cersaie is an international exhibition of architectural ceramics and bathroom furnishings held every September in Bologna, Italy. This year, 840 exhibitors, including 452 ceramic tile manufacturers and 181 bathroom furnishings firms, showed off their…

A Kansas City-based urban winery is hoping Atlanta United FC fans want to toast in style.

Mano’s Wine released a series of limited-edition wines and champagne to commemorate Atlanta United’s first MLS Cup championship. The officially licensed bottle is etched and hand-painted in either a gold or black bottle and range from $30-$50. The two “Championship Reserve” wins are either a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, which have been “aged for 15 months,” according to a release.

While hundreds of famed international art galleries gathered in Miami for Art Basel and the other fairs, one of France’s famous furniture and home decor companies also made an appearance in Miami: Maisons du Monde officially opened the doors to its first store in the United States. Known for its globally inspired products that have universal appeal, the store is fittingly located in Wynwood, one of Miami’s hubs of creativity.

Homedit was there for the launch — including the special events featuring Dabito of “Old Brand New” and “The Jungalow®”’s Justina Blakeney who discussed styling, trends in decor, and what they’re planning for their own holiday celebrations.

Wildly popular in Europe, the Maisons du Monde brand offers a wide range of frequently changing products in a full spectrum of prices, from very affordable to high end. At the opening, we spoke with Anne-Laure Couple, brand executive director, about the store, the collections it offers why it is launching in Miami.

“We chose Miami because we have a relationship with Modani Furniture and because Miami is at the center of art and creativity and the DNA of our brand is creativity,” said Couple. Earlier in 2018, Maisons du Monde acquired a 70 percent stake in Modani, which is an aspirational lifestyle brand based in Miami that has 10 showrooms across the United States.

“And, we chose Wynwood because it’s very happening and very international,” she added. While the Wynwood store is smaller than the typical outpost in Europe, the collections presented are the same, albeit edited down to fit the space.

Speaking of collections, “the strength of our brand is the number of styles we have. We launch five to six collections every few weeks each season,” Couple explains. “About every three weeks we launch a story.” The collections are all appropriate for mixing and matching. “We don’t want to tell someone what style to buy. They can mix and match from all the collections and parts of the store. We want to help them tell their own story with the products in our store,” she says.

Here’s a peek at the winter collections and trends in the new location, along with a look at some of the tabletop products Maisons du Monde is currently offering.

Deep Velvet

Collections are grouped, making it easy to pick coordinated items.

Rich and exotic colors like peacock blue and emerald green characterize this collection that is bold and eclectic with luxurious details. Plush velvet pillows, golden metals and plenty of greenery make this product range that brings the outdoors inside. Comfortable pieces with tropical flair make this a rich and distinctive collection.

The furniture is all accessorized to inspire your styling.

Miss Bloom

Pinks and the trending color for 2019 — coral — are part of this collection.

Millennial pink may have already had its moment but the rosy hues in the Miss Bloom collection are as popular as ever particularly because they include shades of coral, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2019. Many of the pieces have a vintage aesthetic and there’s plenty of whimsy around, with flamingos in many forms.

Bolder pieces in red can be combined with the lighter pinks in the collection.Fun accessories are a big part of what you can find here.All the collections include pieces with graphic accents and plenty of baskets.

Cozy Blue

Settle in for a season of hygge with this range of soft blues.

The Cozy Blue Collection spans a range of blues and soft earthy hues that are ideal for snuggling in during the colder months. The vibe is relaxed and the colors all work as neutrals so they can be easily mixed with other pieces from the store or whatever is already in the house.

The blue shades coordinate well with all neutrals, especially grays and natural wood tones.Each collection has a huge number of coordinating accessories.

Emma & John

Earthy neutrals and mustard yellow characterize the Emma & John collection. The Emma and John Collection has an earthy palette of warm greys, mustard yellow and terra cotta that makes for a warm and comfortable space. Just like the other collections, it includes everything from larger furnishings to pillows and throws, down to small accessories. It also has some really cute animal pieces with cats, pandas, bears and other cuddly creatures.

Animal motifs can be found throughout the store.

Outdoors and Indoors

Botanical elements can be found in many of the collections for indoors and out.Little details make the difference and there are lots to peruse.

Maisons du Monde also sells plenty of pieces to make outdoor spaces special or to bring more of the outdoors inside. Botanical prints mix with neutral furnishings in white and gray, which are perfect to go with the green of plants, walls or accessories.

The global vibe can be felt throughout the store.

Natural, sustainable materials are a big feature in the product line. One really awesome piece is this hanging chair that can be hung outdoors or mounted on its own stand. The globally inspired design and materials used in this and many other pieces give the room a little dose of boho styling.

Dining

Dining sets are versatile and comfortable, never stuffy or pretentious.

Of course, a huge selection of choices for tableware and accessories are available to help customers with the “art of the table” with a French touch, explains Couples. Neutral settings for every day and some with just enough bling to make them ideal for any celebration are all part of the collections, and the choices are wide and very attractive, both in styles and pricing.

Natural elements still have a place in more contemporary styles.The range of tableware is impressive and affordable.

Furniture for the dining room is also part of the selection and the styles include natural materials in various degrees. The mainly white dining set has a cabinet that features rattan doors and the other set pictured is all in natural wood tomes with plenty of wicker and detailing with a global flair. The most striking thing about all the pieces is how naturally they can be mixed or matched with existing decor of many types.

Comfort is one descriptor that fits almost everything in the store. While all the pieces are stylish and on trend, they are above all user-friendly and without pretense. Even the tableware with gold detailing is versatile enough to be used for every day, not just a few special occasions each year. It too mixes easily with the less adorned pieces.

Plenty of details make setting the table fun for family and friends.

Throughout the collections, different pieces have graphic labeling as an accent and this is a really fun detail. From the printing on this placement to the graphics on the glasses and other dishes, it has a homey feeling and goes well with the super cute bulldog statue — a French one of course!

Touches of gold make this tableware ideal for special occasions too.Couple, Blakeney and Dabito discussing Instagram, styling and decor.

As we already mentioned, the opening festivities for Maisons du Monde featured plenty of engaging discussion with Couple, Blakeney and Dabito. Some of the trends discussed were, of course, natural materials along with colors like mustard yellow and rust. In addition, the celebrity designers noted that styling for Instagram is not real life: You have to create a home that is stylish, comfortable and works for your family. The ever-changing collections and pieces at Maisons du Monde are ideal for creating a space that works just for you.

Maisons du Monde was founded more than 20 years ago in France by creative visionary, Xavier Marie, who believed home décor should be global but also inspirational. With more than 320 stores throughout Europe, the U.S. market now has access to its eclectic and affordable home products, if not through the Miami store, via the US website.